Some help with a faction set

[Sigma]

Thanks, but I think I got it more or less the way I want it. I'm starting to get pretty good at this whole graphics editing thing! Though I'm starting to see that it's generally a better idea to do the scanlines after you scale the image for the bottom three pics. I need to redo what I've done so far on Joaquin because they look pretty abd.

I should have preliminary graphics work done on the five factions this week (leader pics and Diplomacy backgrounds at the very lease, maybe bases for some of them too). Meantime I've been brainstorming the last two. Here is what I have so far. Let me know your thoughts:

The Leviathan Body: I was reading Green1's AAR2 when I had the idea for these guys. He brought up that the Data Angels are very much a product of the 90's hacker craze, and that if SMAX were made now they'd basically be written like they were Anonymous. Coupled with the fact that Apollo Industries utterly failed to embody a true people's movement, I thought up these guys. The name comes from Thomas Hobbes' book about statecraft, Leviathan, which uses the allegory of a huge creature as a nation, with a monarch as its head. Here, as the name suggests, the faction takes a stand as the body of the Leviathan-- its people. The Leviathan Body is a faction of the dispossessed, the colonists from the Unity who rejected the high and mighty ideologies of the other factions in favor of freedom from oppression by those same ideologies. The Leviathan's main strength would be its Growth-- they are a populist faction that draws in people from across Planet. Not sure about its weakness yet, probably Police and Probe (distrust of law enforcement and surveillance). Their goal is a free Planet of the people, not of the elites that dominate each faction.

EDIT: The leader of this faction would be South African, and would be just a generic Unity Passenger with no rank to speak of. Need to think of a good name.

The Genome Syndicate: In a way Leviathan's opposite and a counterpoint to the Technocrat Foundation, the Genome Syndicate seeks to use genetic enhancement and social memetic influence to pull mankind to a new state of evolution-- Homo Superior, in effect, kind of like the Bene Gesserit from Dune. They have poor population growth but high Talent output, so while each of their bases will be smaller than a Leviathan base, it may be more productive.

[Sigma]

Graphics for Sons of the Advent are done-ish. I have a rough idea for the bases but I'd need to spend more time on making them look unique; meantime I'm using Cult bases.

[Buster's Uncle]

Nice logo.

You really need to put credits in the empty space - I've seen many a custom faction graphic without them, and one problem of only putting credits in the .txt or somewhere else is that faction art gets re-purposed, and then how will posterity know it's your work?  Be proud, and take credit everywhere, .txt and .pcx alike.

Like you said about the last one you posted, you need to size & place the leaderhead art, THEN do the scanlines seperately - they take seconds in GIMP with the Erase Every Other Row function.

I'm really impressed with how quickly you've gotten the hang of this.  I usually have to answer questions for a few weeks.  Good work, sir.

[Sigma]

Yeah I'm really pleased at how the logo turned out. It's the symbol for Nonlinear Mathematics laid over an eight pointed star, and it just sort of worked out that way. Same for the Technocrat symbol; it's Transcendent Thought laid inside a gear symbol, and when I filled it in the latent shading created a faint outline that I thought was pretty great.

Also I wasn't aware of an Erase Every Other row function; is that automatic? I've been doing it by hand according to your Graphics thread.

I'll add credits at some point in the future.

[Buster's Uncle]

Best to leave credits until you're done, yes.

It's the same technique with the +15% raised contrast over -15% -or the other way around- but instead of the hard way I did it for years erasing one line at a time, Filters>Distorts>Erase Every Other Row.  Saves 10-15 minutes at a stroke.  I'm SURE the technique is written up in Graphics and posted in Articles...

[Sigma]

Well that's pretty convenient then! I'll make use of that!

I've been trying to pick out a decent picture for Atsumi Satori but I've been struggling for some reason to find a mature, regal looking Japanese woman to use for her leaderhead, since everytime I google "Japanese actress" or "Japanese model" all I get are pages and pages of teenage idols. Japan! 

[Buster's Uncle]

Here, for more detail:  http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=28



Google Japanese royalty? 

[JarlWolf]

What exactly are you trying to look for? I am guessing this is for House Satori. If you are looking for a female Merchant or something, or something else? Because I can help, just give me the specifics.

[Sigma]

What exactly are you trying to look for? I am guessing this is for House Satori. If you are looking for a female Merchant or something, or something else? Because I can help, just give me the specifics.

Yeah, it's for Satori.

[Sigma]

Stats for the Leviathan Body:

(click to show/hide)

#DATALINKS1
^LEADER: {Omar van Blum}
^BACKGROUND: {Republic of South Africa, Unity Passenger}
^AGENDA: {Universal human rights}
^TECH: {Social Psyche}

#DATALINKS2
^+1 Growth:   {Populist movement gathers supporters}
^-1 POLICE:  {Distrust of law enforcement}
^-2 PROBE:  {Opposed to surveillance}
^Double votes in Planetary Elections
^+15% Offense {Activists willing to fight for cause}
^Free Rec Commons at all bases
^{May not choose Police State Politics}

Thoughts?

EDIT: Police State is politics, not economics. 

[Buster's Uncle]

I've been trying to pick out a decent picture for Atsumi Satori but I've been struggling for some reason to find a mature, regal looking Japanese woman to use for her leaderhead, since everytime I google "Japanese actress" or "Japanese model" all I get are pages and pages of teenage idols. Japan! 

I just googled "japanese empress", and that might be in the line you want, though Empress Michiko has an unfortunate tendency to smile and wave, but not always.

[Buster's Uncle]

The best shots I find w/ haughtiness are black and white, alas...  But since you really want a painting, colorizing would not be impossible.

[Sigma]

Hmmmm, not quite what I'm looking for I think. Haughty isn't the word I'm looking for; Atsumi is a person who likes for other people to underestimate her, as she believes it gives her an edge, so I'd prefer her to have a warmer, more approachable appearance. The Japanese actress Koyuki is closer, but I haven't been able to pick out a picture where she is in a decent pose.

[Buster's Uncle]

?





"warmer, more approachable appearance" isn't a problem.  Google "japanese grandmother portrait" - those old ladies are always smiling.

[Buster's Uncle]